Remnant of the Creed
by Team Epsilon
Summary: Life wasn't so bad for me as a shy kid. Now im almost a grown man in college. Just before entering my classroom one last time, I am violently introduced into a strange, familiar world. Join my adventures in a quest to aid Equestria as the last descendant of the Creed of Guardians. Rated T For language, violence, and suggestive content. Might rate "M" later on. Fluttershy X OC. R&R!
1. Prologue: Before the storm

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING PORTRAYED IN THIS FANFICTION, OTHER THAN MY OCS JOYCE, THEO, AND SCARLETTE. _**

**_Prologue: Before the storm_**

* * *

6:59am

...

7:00am *_click*_

-"_Another Wonderful morning here in Silver City, broadcasts show cloudy skies tonight and a 40% chance of a drizzle.."_

I didn't hear the rest, for I hit the "snooze" button on the alarm clock. Sitting up, I looked around at my room, half asleep. I knew that today was going to be a busy day. I disconnected my phone from its charging dock next to the alarm clock. I lazily stood up and made my way down the hall of the apartment. I saw a note taped to a bedroom in front of the shower room.

_'Final exam is today. Scarlett and I are going to be at the geology site. Won't be back until 8 pm, after exam we're taking you out to celebrate your internship. Be sure to be ready to head out by then.' Theo _

I smirked at the note and shook my head. My two best friends since middle school, celebrating my achievements like my parents would. I considered myself to be infinitely fortunate to have friends like these, and for finally being one step closer to my career. Being a physical therapist may not sound very exciting, but nonetheless I was stoked to being granted an internship at the local clinic by request of the head director of the medical department at the university. When I delivered the news to my roommates/childhood best friends; I swear I could see tears of joy about to stream down Scarlett's eyes, and a gigantic grin on Theo's face.

Looking at the note made me reflect about my friends, and how unexpectedly we all came to be.

Ours was the quite a story, a trio of outcasts becoming the best of friends, and our relationship only strengthening as we overcame junior high and high school. Theo was the first friend I made in junior high. I thought about the day I met him. That day was also the day where I realized the potential cruelty that a single pre-teen could exert on someone for being different.

I remember it with such clarity, yet it was almost six full years ago.

* * *

_I was virtually not there; keeping to myself almost always. Yes, I was ridiculously shy, yet the less attention I tried to attract, the more people spoke to me._

_ And they almost never had a nice thing to say._

_ Insults ranged from 'Gay' to 'Freak' and beyond. Sure they were annoying, hearing kids say the same thing day after day, but I found them more annoying than actually insulting. So it didn't affect me._

_ That is, until Brice Wayne decided to take it up a few levels. He was the stereotypical football player. Big, bulky and with a "Worthier than thou" attitude. He was just a linebacker for the Junior Varsity team, but for him that made him a lot cooler than anyone._

_ It had been somewhere during my seventh week there. I was sitting alone, as always, listening to music in my mp3. I loved rock, from Metallica to Twisted Sister to Queen. Unfortunately kids rather listened to hip hop or rap or whatever. I didn't mind. However, one day he went straight to a bench I was sitting on during free period, and began spewing the most bullshit I've heard that year._

_ "Hey bro, what are you listening to huh?" He said as he sat next to me and three of his boot –err, CLEAT lickers stood around._

_ "It's a song from Metallica... Ever heard of Battery?" I asked hesitantly without looking up from the mp3 screen. It wasn't the first time someone tried to do this. Sit down as to have a seemingly normal conversation, only to have them spew out torrents of judgments. _

_ "Nah man. Slim Shady's where it's at. Real men music, ya know?" Typical. Of course, I decided to steer clear of having a discussion. But he had other plans._

_ "I guess… Don't really like rap or whatever, but if that's what you listen to. I'll just stick to my music"_

_ "Pfft, THAT? I think that you'll like rap if you listen to it. If not, then there's clearly something fucked up in that head of yours" He began taking out some headphones from his backpack._

_ "No thanks. I heard most of the Marshall Mather's EP when it came out, and I didn't like it at all. Like I told you, I'm sticking to rock and metal and such." Throughout this whole conversation, he plugged his headphones in his own mp3._

_ "Man, I'm not asking you bro. Once you hear this shit, you'll drop your Shit-tallica and man up" He reached over and with one swipe tore out the earphone in my left ear. It kinda hurt, but I was more annoyed that in pain_

_ "DUDE, WHAT THE SHIT IS WRONG WITH YOU? I'M NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO THAT CRAP SO JUST STOP TRYING!" I shouted as I stood up to walk away. At this point everybody in the courtyard was just looking at our way, waiting for something to happen. I didn't care that those had been the first words most of the school had heard from me since I started attending._

_ He stood up and walked up to me until we were inches from each other. Neither gave ground. I had it with his bullshit and wasn't going to let him bother me anymore, even if it did mean getting my ass kicked by four JV football players._

_ "Oh really ya bitch?! What's your gay ass gonna do to stop me?" His dogs closed in on me._

_ A hand twirled Brice from the shoulder and grabbed him from the collar of his shirt. Holding him was a taller, slimmer guy who looked a bit older than Brice. Though he was slimmer, he was far more athletic and toned than Brice. His name was Theo, and he was captain of the wrestling team. He looked pissed. _

_ A bit behind him to his left, was a girl who I assumed must have been his girlfriend. Ho-Ly crap was she gorgeous. Her silky white skin accented her vibrantly deep maroon hair. Her eyes were just as beautiful as her slim, curvy figure. I was hypnotized by her eyes. Big and innocent, sparkling against the sunlight. I noticed their color. Dark metallic silver. She must have seen my awestruck, dumbfounded expression, because she began to blush and looked down. It was then I took notice of Brice still being held by the collar of his shirt._

_ "What the flying fuck do you think you're doing, asshole!? If he doesn't want rap, then quit bitching and get the fuck out!" He was inches away from Brice, screaming directly at him. Brice looked like he would soil himself then and there, even his jockeys backed off good couple of feet away. He spoke up with a trembling voice_

_ "W-what? You his bitch now Davis? You're protecting your pimp, is that what it is?" He tried to get his "bad-ass" attitude back, but he couldn't mask the fear in his voice._

_ "No, I'm shutting your bitch-trap up, that's what I'm doing. If I ever see or hear you running your trap again, I'll make sure you get kicked out of the team without a chance of ever going back, plus I'll purée your butt-ugly shit face till its permanently uglier." With that, he shoved Wayne aside (which made him stumble to the ground) and he and his crooks walked away muttering curses at us._

_ "Hey," the girl suddenly was next to me, looking deep into my eyes with a friendly expression. I couldn't help but blush. " Don't worry about Wayne, he's a jerk like that. He'll leave you alone" She said in a friendly, pleasant tone._

_ "Yeah I'm all good. Thanks for helping, not a lot of people seem to care" Now Theo was next to her to, and only shrugged his shoulders in response "Anyway, not that I don't appreciate it, but why did you help me? You don't even know me."_

_ "Well, I heard you were the only other rocker in the damn school, so I was looking for you to see what you were all 'bout. When we got a lead on where you were, we came and saw what Wayne was doing and ta-da, here we are. Name's Theo. Theo Davis" he wrapped his arm around his now smiling (and blushing) lover "And she's Scarlette. Scarlette Truman" _

_ " I'm Joyce. Joyce McCarran. You can call me Joey."We all sat down at the bench. "Really guys, thank you both. It's cool to finally meet someone who isn't all about rap and shit" I unplugged my earphones, took out and connected a small battery speaker to my mp3 from my carrier bag. Immediately, the sounds of "Through the fire and flames" erupted from the speaker. We listened to the song without anyone saying a word until the song ended._

_ "Sweet tunes man, that was awesome" he said_

_ "Say, you wouldn't happen to listen to... Blink-182 would you?" Scarlett (as I heard him call her) _

_ "I only have a few albums, but if you're interested, I have almost all the songs from Paramore right here" I tapped at my mp3. To my surprise, she nudged me playfully and smiled._

_ "…You and I are going to get along very well" _

_ I grinned._

* * *

I snapped out of my little trip down memory lane, and was instantly reminded of the busy day ahead. I glanced at the alarm clock in my room '_seven oh-five? Wow, way early... Class today starts at nine-forty-five.'_ Making a mental rundown, I began to plan out the day aloud.

"Ok, so it takes me five minutes to ninja my way over…" Free-running was a hobby I picked up from Theo after he joined track the semester after we met. He was damn good at it, and within a few months of running with him, I could not only keep up, but eventually out run him.

"…so that means I still have well over two hours. Guess I'll clean up around the place and make some breakfast before getting in the shower." To my surprise, the apartment was partly clean already. All I ended up doing was sweeping, dusting, and steam mopping the living room, kitchen, studio, both my room and theirs. When I finished, I looked at the clock once more. 8:16am. Still a long time before class, so I decided to eat breakfast first. After that, and a good 15 minute shower, I shaved, brushed my teeth thoroughly, and stepped into my room and decided on what to wear. I decided on a white casual dress shirt and slim black jeans. Finally ready, I gave myself a quick look-over in the restroom mirror.

I was a good 5'11", possibly 190 pounds. Clear light skin, contrasting the pitch, almost reflective black head of hair, which was (as usual) stylized in a way that curtained my left eye in a diagonal way. My eyes were… odd. As I studied and learned from genetics, I found out was born with a slight genetic mutation. To spare the lesson in genetics about how the slightest change in DNA whilst in pregnancy can drastically affect the offspring, I'll just cut to the chase. My eyes were both rainbow-hued. It's hard to believe, but when you think about it, it isn't impossible, just… uncommon. I used to hate my eyes because they were the main reason I was called 'freak' or 'gay'. But I eventually accepted and embraced my unique eyes. I no longer was a terribly shy, self-despising outcast. I was still, however, terribly shy.

I stepped out of the shower room and made my way back in my room, I packed things I might need for today. '_The laptop's charged and ready. Clean notebook, some pens and pencils for when I get creative. iPod's charged and ready to roll. Headphones, ready. Seems to be everything' _All this fit perfectly in my vibrantly white backpack. In the front of the backpack, sewn by yours truly, was an Assassins Creed logo and motto "Nothing is true, everything is permitted" In cursive. I was a diehard fan of the series, and I wasn't afraid to show it.

About to leave, I saw I still had about forty minutes. So I sat down at a couch n the living room and pulled out my iPod and my headphones. I also took the time to take out a bottle of drinking yogurt from the refrigerator. Scrolling through some videos, I found what I was looking for. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic "Dragonshy" I had enough time to relax and watch the best possible thing. '_mm, strawberry banana yogurt, twenty-two minutes of fluttershy, and a nice little night out with my best friends later tonight. This month just got 20% cooler'. _

Yes, I'm a brony. And just as with the assassins' creed logo, I had also sewn a yellow-beige patch that had Fluttershy's cutie mark. She really reminded me of myself, and in turn she instantly held a spot close to my heart. Plus she's adorable.

As the ending credits began to roll, I saw the time. Nine thirty. Deciding to rather take a slow relaxing walk to class, I left home. Fifteen minutes were ten minutes more than I needed to get to class, so I took the scenic route.

The whole way, I felt like I was being followed, yet I didn't see anybody. I decided to ignore the feeling, and as I kept walking, I quietly began to sing along with my iPod. My favorite song was playing.

" _On__ a cold winter morning, in the time before the light._

_In flames of death, eternal reign, we ride toward the fight._

_When the darkness has fallen down, and times are tough alright,_

_The sound of evil laughter falls around the world tonight."_

As I walked into the building where my class was in, I noticed that not only the hallway was deserted, but other than my blasting headphones, everything was deadly quiet.

Suddenly, the whole hallway began to shake violently. I was frantically trying to keep my footing, but instead fell on my face and continued the earthquake there. I was pretty sure that the earthquake was going to be the end of me. As I looked up, something caught my eyes. Looking at a water dispenser, I saw that the water inside the gallon wasn't even vibrating a bit. I tried to stand up but the shaking wouldn't even allow me to safely rise to my knees even. As I reached out to use the wall to stand, the hallway brightened up, almost as if someone had taken every single lamp, bulb, or illuminating object on-campus and turned them on, inches from my back.

As I turned to see where all the light was coming from, I was met by blinding light, and a sudden jolt of pain that emanated from my toes all the way to my skull. Dropping to the ground in a limp, barely conscious heap, darkness began to seep into my view. Then, the sensation of falling. I couldn't see anything, and only heard the whispering wind, reassuring me that I was indeed falling. Out of nowhere, a soothing, motherly voice spoke above the wind during my blind free-fall.

_' I truly apologize, I wish there was another way. But we need you. I need you. Equestria needs you. This is not the end of your life, it is indeed just the beginning.' _It said.

There were the sounds of breaking and snapping, a thud, and unbelievably, even more pain. Feeling myself slipping into unconsciousness, I heard leaves rustling, then my own shattered, wheezing breath.

Then, I went cold.

* * *

_**A/N: So very sorry about the constant tweaking with the Prologue, my reviewers pointed out grammatical mistakes and i couldn't leave it like that :C but now I got an Editor and Proofreader! :D**__****_

I want to thank the readers, reviewers, and followers of Remnants, you guys are just awesome! On that note, Please Read and Review, it makes you 20% cooler and makes me 90% happier ;D. Stay awesome bros! /)

Also, if any of you would happen to have suggestions as to songs that my OC should sing (yes its going to be THAT kind of fanfic xD) pleeeaaase leave a suggestion in the reviews, or PM me so i can put up a poll :D

Chapter one should be up by now, please R&R on that one too :D!

See ya there!  



	2. Chapter 1: The Void

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING PORTRAYED IN THIS FANFICTION, OTHER THAN MY OCS JOYCE, THEO, SCARLETTE, BLADEKNIGHT, DIAMOND MIST, NIGHT COMET AND HIEMS VENTUS._**

**_Chapter one: The Void_**

* * *

I began to regain consciousness. I opened my eyes slowly, and was met with… nothing. Absolutely nothing. All around me was a white expanse that seemed to go on as far as the eyes could tell. Then, I remembered.

_'…Wait, last thing I remember is the pain…then falling… After that…I- I don't even know if I hit the ground in the end.' _I thought. Thinking back at the amount of pain I had felt, I let my inner medic take over. First thing I needed was to calm down; so that I could focus on making sure I was physically healthy, even though I felt nothing.

I began to rise and thoroughly examined myself, just as I had learned from my classes. So far, I was in tip top condition. Then I noticed something I didn't whilst checking for injuries... My outfit had slightly changed.

_'Hang on… didn't I pick black jeans this morning?' _ It didn't bother me much. Considering I had no idea in hell where I was, it was the least of my concerns if my pants had mysteriously changed colors. My backpack, shirt, shoes, everything was still normal.

_"I see you have woken up." _It was a female voice, but it sounded more like an echo. As frightening as it was to hear voices in the middle of goddamn nowhere, her voice sounded… sad. It had an apologetic tone to it, and the voice sounded almost motherly.

"WH-where am I? What am I doing here?" I asked out loud hoping for a response, but then I added "Who are YOU?"

_"That is a question you can answer yourself, Joyce." _ It seemed to think that I already knew whom I was speaking to. I figured I might as well play along. I began to think of all the girls I had ever spoken to. So far, none came even close to this voice.

I began to give up thinking. Just as I opened my mouth to say I had no idea who she was, a wild, uncanny thought flashed through my mind._ 'No way… it Can't be..Can it?'_ Stupefied at the thought, I finally asked with much hesitation and doubt.

"Pr-Princess Celestia?"I finally managed to ask in a shaky voice. _'No. It can't be… There's NO WAY'_

Just as I thought this, however, the voice decided to manifest itself in person… sort of. There was a sudden swirl of colors, a gust of wind, and a flash. Then, before me… She appeared.

The almighty alicorn known as Princess Celestia, co-ruler of all of Equestria, stood before me. Her wings were spread wide apart; her sparkling pastel-colored mane flowing freely even though there wasn't the slightest breeze in this place. Her presence was just… majestic, breathtaking. I was in a trance, looking deeply into her rose-colored eyes.

Yet there was something that seemed… different about her. She didn't have that calm, reassuring, almost-motherly smile on her face, and looking closely at her eyes, I saw… tears forming, just barely being held. I was confused as to why she was about to cry. Before I could even ask, she stepped closer… bowed her head until it was leveled with mine… _and nuzzled me…_ Then, there were sniffles, as she silently began to cry.

"I- I'm so sorry…" she managed to say in between sniffles. " I truly am"

"Apologize? For what, princess?" I asked with clear doubt in my voice

"Y-your life back on earth… it was so…so harmonious an-and happy… yet I went and took you away from it…" she was now full-on crying.

I never thought it possible to feel so… helpless. There she was, the goddess of the sun, crying on my shoulder and somehow I was partly the reason she was crying. I felt truly bad for her, but her words were finally sinking in. A streak of terror ran up my spine, and began to tremble and managed to ask feebly, almost a whisper.

"Wha-what do you mean, take me away from it?" we slowly lowered to our knees, mostly because of the sheer shock of what her previous statement was suggesting. She lifted her head and was now looking deep into my eyes.

"I'm very sorry Joyce, but… this isn't a dream or hallucination… this is all completely real…" The answer completely blew my mind. '_Princess Celestia was-IS real?!... but why would she… oh no, please no.' _my mind was ablaze from the realization of it all. There was only one possible explanation for the whole situation I found myself on. I was fairly certain of this, but I needed confirmation. I needed to know that this wasn't just a nightmare… a magnificent nightmare masked behind a fantasy.

"I- I'm sorry I had to separate you from the life you knew and loved… I promised myself I would never do that to any pony, yet… so many lives are at stake… and I fear that Luna and I won't be able to save them by ourselves… We need you Joyce… Equestria is in peril and we need your help." She said in a steady, pleading tone.

My head reeled from all the information being shot at me... Just as my true life was about to begin, I was yanked from it and dropped into an entirely new dimension, which I used to believe fictional up until this point. Not only that, but I was also expected to _Save it_ as well. _'this can't be happening…this simply CAN'T BE HAPPENING!'_

"If-if I agree to aid you in any way I can…" I tremblingly asked "will you take me back home?" I was in the verge of panic, from the confessions, to the realization of no longer being anywhere near home, my friends, my family… I looked back at her and saw she was looking at me with an even MORE pained expression. _'That certainly can't be good…'_

She looked down and began to sob, steady streams of tears flowing from her eyes. After a few moments, she looked back to me, sniffled, and sighed before speaking.

"That is the problem…I'm so sorry Joyce, again I truly am… but I'm afraid it won't be possible… there is no way for you to go back to your reality…" She looked at me sorrowfully for a few moments before she wrapped a hoof around my shoulders, pulling me into what she tried (and failed) to be a comforting embrace.

This didn't help much, for I began to freely and loudly sob.

This was too much for me… losing my friends, my family, my future, the only thing I would have of them would be my memories of us. I felt devastated, yet as much as I wanted to blame and hate Celestia for all this, I knew deep inside of me that she was being honest about being sorry, and promising herself not to do it. I knew she didn't have a choice, it was either this, or going through whatever horrors where in store.

I cried for what felt like an eternity, but slowly I began to calm down. The pain and sorrow where still very much there, but I knew that I had to embrace reality, and the sooner I did, the easier it would be for me. With much sorrow, I pulled myself from her embrace, and finally asked the question that was pondering my mind for the past hour.

"Princess, if Luna, the Elements of Harmony, and yourself can't, I don't see how I could make a difference" It was true. If two Almighty alicorns and THE Elements of Harmony couldn't hope to win this alone, a feeble human wouldn't stand a chance.

But one look at her face told me I must be wrong. "Well, Joyce, there's something you should know…"

_'Aaand here's where shit gets serious' _I thought.

A long pause ensued. The silence was unnerving. Princess Celestia seemed to be thinking to herself, looking for the right words to say. This went on for almost a full five minutes. Finally, she spoke.

"As you might probably know, I have ruled Equestria for a very, very long time" I silently nodded when she said this. "Now, I know that in your world, my reality is portrayed as some sort of adventure. Of this I am aware, and though not entirely wrong, there are many things different from '_your_' Equestria from the real Equestria." I thought about it for a second, and it actually didn't surprise me. She kept on explaining.

"I assume you know about the first time I used the Elements of Harmony, correct? Well… what if I told you that before the Elements of Harmony came to be… Equestria was kept safe by a valiant creed of protectors?" She looked at me questioningly, as if she were expecting an answer. Now, I knew My Little Pony pretty well, but I was sure that there was never a mention of _anything _before the first use of the elements. She sensed my belief, and proceeded with her explanation.

"This group of protectors was simply known as the Creed of Guardians. They took into their hooves the responsibility of protecting Equestria against any and all threat that arose. They were spread all over the land, and were always there to protect and defend Equestria. There was no other army that could come close to the strength, the bravery, the honour of those ponies. They always prevailed in battle in the defence of Equestria. " She took a second to organize her thoughts and continued.

"There was a period in our history in which Equestria was under constant danger from a very powerful kingdom, The Empire of the Dragon. The Empire sought enslavement of all of Equestria. Nopony made a hostile move against them, but to them, the only thing that mattered was the conquest of all the kingdoms. But the Creed of Guardians did not hesitate, and immediately took up arms against the dragon empire. Wars waged between the Creed and the Empire, the battles long and bloody. Both sides suffered heavily in this war, but the Creed suffered the most" She sighed, apparently still pained from the loss of Equestria's defenders.

"Eventually, the lord of the Empire, an impossibly powerful Dragon Elder by the name of Hiems Ventus, joined the frontlines in battle. The Creed was devastated at his wake, but did not go down without a fight."

"When all seemed lost, the most powerful members of the creed appeared. They were the Creed's own elders: Bladeknight, the fabled earthpony weapon master and elder warrior. Even the best swordsmen of the creed were no match for him. Next, was Diamond Mist, the elder of magic and most powerful unicorn mare to roam the land; so magically talented, not even Starswirl the Bearded could match her expertise. And last, but certainly not least, was Night Comet. Up to date, no Pegasus could come anywhere near close to his flight skills. Not only that, but his uncanny flight mastery was also met by his skills with a weapon. He was Bladeknight's top trainee, and was the only known creature to _almost _match Bladeknight's swordsman skills"

"The three elders led the remaining guardians against a final battle versus the remaining empire dragons and their leader. Sadly, only the elders and Ventus were left to fight. Their battle was long and fierce, and neither side was giving signs of defeat. Eventually, the elders realized that they couldn't beat Ventus in a battle. They came to the conclusion that one final sacrifice had to be made in order to save Equestria. In a final attempt that cost their lives, the elders all combined their magic and succeeded in making Ventus fall into eternal slumber, encasing him in an extremely powerful magic cocoon, and teleporting it into the nucleus of the planet to ensure there was no way for him to escape. Equestria had been saved after many years of furious, fierce and bloody war. But the sacrifice was immense… Every last member of the Creed of Guardians gave their lives to the defense of Equestria from the claws of that tyrant Ventus." She finalized her story with a tear, as she clearly remembered the events.

I found the whole story fascinating, and I knew it must have been true, but I still yet didn't know how all this applied to me. So I went ahead and asked her.

"Princess, I know it must have been a horrifying experience to go through, but I still don't know how all this applies to me in anyway"

" . My apologies, I guess I left out that portion of the tale. Well, *ahem*, before the Empire wars, Diamond Mist and Night Comet were… greatly attached to each other an emotional level. In other words, they were in love. This had been the case since they were young foals; they had grown up as best friends together, and died as lovers together…" I immediately felt a ping of sadness for them both, but hearing they died as they lived (together), I started to feel happiness, as they now rested in peace together.

"… But what completely took everypony by surprise was the discovery that they had conceived a foal… A Pegasus colt, just like his father… But he was nowhere to be found…Until now. " I was completely taken by surprise by that, and suddenly the dots began to connect, and the truth surfaced. I was in silent, wide eyed shock, and my mouth hung agape at the revelation. After what seemed as an eternity, I finally asked with a trembling voice.

"P-Princess Celestia…A-Are saying that I'm… That I'm…"

"Indeed, Joyce. You ARE the last descendant of the protectors of Equestria… You ARE what is left of the Creed of Guardians. As centuries passed by, we reached the conclusion that your _TRUE _biological parents had managed to somehow send you somewhere where you'd be safe from the war… unfortunately, the spell that was used to teleport you elsewhere died with them, and they only noted how to bring you back."

Once again, I was stupefied. Even after all of what had been recently revealed, after hearing about being basically stranded in a new world, there always seemed to be an even more unknown revelations coming my way. _'What next? What else is there that I don't know? How many things will I discover before I finally lose it?' _

"I know this seems too much to handle; but keep in mind that although I may not be physically present, that doesn't mean that you are alone. I shall be there for you whenever, wherever you may need me." She gave me a comforting smile, her words sincere. Her words were reassuring, and her promise was truthful and comforting. _'As bad as this might seem, I can tell that she won't let me go through this alone... I guess there is only one thing left to do now.'_

"Princess Celestia… for the past several hours, I have been trying to convince myself that this is all a nightmare. For the past several hours, I have been telling myself that as grim as this might seem, I would see my loved ones again. I now know that isn't possible… and as much as it pains me to have left my friends without saying goodbye… I know that it is not your fault… I know that you searched for other solutions, but you were between a rock and a hard place. It was either this, or Equestria would've suffered. My point is, I completely forgive you, and there are no hard feelings between us" at this, she smiled thankfully. I concluded.

"As for the aid of Equestria… I accept. I will help in the defense of Equestria however I possibly can." She smiled in relief and exhaled sharply, as she had been holding her breath whilst I spoke.

"Oh thank you! Thank you so very much! I-I" she was at a loss for words, it seemed. Swiftly, she pulled me into a tight, thankful hug that went on for minutes; her tears of happiness and relief were rolling freely into my shoulder. Finally she pulled away and spoke.

"I cannot thank you enough… Just having you there will help out greatly" She beamed.

"Don't thank me yet, princess. I gladly agreed to help, but I don't know how I could. After all, I don't even know how to use a simple sword; much less conjure magic, since I come from world without it." I said, still unsure what my role would be in this.

"But that's where I can finally help, Joyce. For you see… you literally _inherited _your parents' skills… Your mother's magic runs courses your every fiber, your fathers own combat and flight skills. All have been locked away and made forgotten, so that they could re-surface at a time like this. All they need is some… _coaxing_. And I can very well help with that… if you allow me of course…" She said hesitantly.

"What would you need to do princess?" I asked

"I can bring them out like memories, and within a few minutes after completing the spell, your skills will be as if you had learned them yourself. It's…an uncomfortable process to put it plainly, but it's a guaranteed success. Also, even though your father was a Pegasus, which suggests you'll be a Pegasus yourself, you will inherit your mother's extraordinary magic" she said.

"Sooo… what you are saying is that I'll be almost as powerful as an alicorn but smaller and without a horn? How will that work?" I asked her.

"Yes, you'll have the power of your mother, and to work your magic, the power resides will in your will not need a horn to skillfully use your magic as great as your mother" She responded.

I thought about it for a second _'Learn magical spells and conjurations? Learn flight like the greatest flier Equestria ever met plus swordsman skills that were only bested by one other individual? Become a Pegasus with the magic of Equestria's strongest mage? Is it really worth-'_

"I accept, princess." I said before finishing my thought. "Whatever it takes to keep Equestria safe, I shall accept." I said rather enthusiastically.

"As you wish. Very well… Hold still, please" Her horn began to shine brightly and began to move it forward to my forehead. Just as she did this, her hoof (also glowing somehow) was raised and slowly inched toward my chest. Time seemed to slow down as her horn and hoof finally made contact with each their intended targets. Just as she said, the feeling was rather… weird. It felt like getting static current from a wool carpet, and like jumping from a hot tub to an ice-cold pool several times in just a few seconds, but there was no pain at least. After ten full seconds of this, she slowly backed away as her horn's light began to fade.

"There, it has been done" She said

"Well… that takes care of that…" I said. There was only one thing left to do now, and that was to begin my new life in Equestria.

"Well princess, as enlightening and… interesting as this has been, I think it would be best if I were underway… wait, how exactly do I _leave _this… err, Realm?" I asked

"I understand, and you may leave to Equestria through…" A n archway faded into view next to me "… That archway"

"Well… I guess this is so long for now… we'll meet face to face soon, right princess?" I was extremely nervous, what with being introduced into a whole new universe where my only contact was an out-of-reach deity. "Are there any pointers or advice you'd care to give me before I leave?"

"Well… First of all, as I said before, Equestria is not as innocent as you'd think, so be very careful. Secondly, bottling up emotions like you used to is… well, futile. Everypony WILL notice if there is something bothering or upsetting you, so you might as well be open to others' help. Don't be afraid of self expression, nobody will prematurely judge you. Lastly, just because the world you'll live in is different, does not necessarily mean that your life must be different as well. Live life to its fullest, enjoy friendship, happiness, _love_." I thought about it for a second.  
_  
'She has a point… life is what you make of it, after all' _I thought to myself.

"I guess this is where we part our separate ways… Remember this, Joyce; you are never alone, for there is an entire planet full of possible friends and lovers out there. All you have to do is embrace" With this, she faded away, leaving me in the endless expanse of white once again. I turned to the archway and slowly walked up to it.

"Well, here goes.." As I stepped in, a few words crossed my thoughts _"be open…enjoy friendship…love… embrace… life"_

With that in mind, I stepped through the magical archway... to my new life… my new planet…

My new home.

* * *

_**A/N: Grrrr, junior year is kicking me in the face! sorry for the late update (lol rhymes) guys, but i've been pretty busy with school, homework, taking care of my lovely mum (imma become an older bro guise xDDD! so excited) and such things. The fanfic right now is one of my top priorities, and i will do my damn best to bring you guys moar Remnant of the Creed! i hereby make an oath in the same language of the name of the Dragon Empire lord :**_

Promitto tibi non deficient.

(see if you can guess its origin and mening in modern english, first three to answer recieve a shout out in the next chapter) Also, the whole song suggestion thing is still going so leave a song and i shall include it in a poll. most requested ones shall be included throughout the story :D

_**I'll try my hardest to have chapter 2 up before Tuesday; if not, then by nesxt thursday. Stay awesome bros, PLEASE R&R AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF...i-if you want..**_

_**SEEYAINTHEFUTURE BYE!**_


	3. Chapter 2: Harsh Welcomings

**_DISCLAIMER: AS ALWAYS, I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING PORTRAYED IN THIS FANFICTION OTHER THAN MY OCs._**

_chapter 2: Harsh Welcomings_

Immediately after stepping under the archway, a heavy exhaustion began to form. _'This can't be normal…I suppose this is the way for me to transition from this…Realm, to Equestria.'_ Guessing I was probably right, I decided not to fight it. I sat down under the archway, growing more and more tired as the seconds passed. Within half a minute; I slumped on my left side, and began to drift into sleep.

I woke up on my left side, just as I remembered from the realm. My eyes took some time to adjust to the sudden change of bright white expanse, to dark yet more colorful atmosphere. It resembled a thickly forested area. After noting my dark surroundings, I noticed something else… it was something about myself, but I couldn't figure it out. It was like… My entire body felt strange… Different, yet normal at the same time. Then it dawned on me.

_'Oh right… I'm in Equestria. I'm a pony now.' _I thought, a ping of sadness rising from deep within my heart. I began to recall the events prior to this very second. The Void and all the things that the Princess had admitted to me; being on earth that one morning, thinking about how greatly life would turn out for me; then the events at the medicine hallway, from the massive shaking, to the pain, to the falling, then even more pain.

Then, as if on cue, my body exploded with a miserable agony.

Still on the ground, the pain ransacked my body. I lay completely still in fear of making this torture even worse. Winces, groans, and sobs all made their way out of me, being too hurt to keep quiet. Either way, I was deep in (what I assumed was) the Everfree forest, so I didn't think anything would hear me.

As time flew by, I lay quite literally unmoving. Sometime later, the pain subsided enough for me to attempt to stand. Wincing and whining, I managed to stand on all fours; which, in spite of the pain, felt normal. Gritting my teeth, I took a step forward. To my surprise, it was quite easy, and the pain had calmed down too. Slowly I began to walk in a circle to get used to the feel of being a pony. It all seemed like second nature, and it did not quite bother me at all. After a few moments of walking, I remembered that Princess Celestia had told me I would be a Pegasus pony. I slowly turned my neck to check my wings (and to get a general idea of what I'd look like, since I hadn't found a mirror or pond to check my reflection), and was immediately horrified at what I saw.

My body and wings were _supposed_ to be an intense, vibrant white; but instead, they were thoroughly marked in dried bloodstains, originating from cuts and gashes from the injuries of the crash landing. To make things worse, my wings were limply hanging from my back, looking horribly wounded. They were covered in cuts, bruises, and were missing some feathers too. Looking at myself, it seemed to me I had lost a lot of blood.

_'I need to get out of here, and FAST. The sooner I can get medical attention, the better.'_ Walking back to the spot I woke up on, I saw a dual-pouched backpack thingy and concluded that my backpack had undergone some… 'Adjustments' to better fit this world. Not daring to slip on the saddlebag, I first decided to check its contents. Surprisingly enough, everything I packed back on earth was there, unchanged. Further looking into the bags, I also found a small purple pouch with Princess Celestia's cutie mark sown into it, a pair of real eyeglasses, and a watch. The watch read 5:46 pm.

"I better get out of the forest before dusk; don't wanna see what kinds of creatures live here." I thought aloud. I decided to put the watch and eyeglasses on (the latter actually improving my slightly blurry and out-of-focus view), then picked up the saddlebag with my mouth and held it there. Slowly, I heavily limped around for almost an hour, before a few drops of rain came down.

"This is just Fan-friggidy-tastic..." I muttered to myself. Time flew by as the slight drizzle turned into a thunder-less downpour. After what seemed like hours, I reached a cobblestone trail. Relieved, I followed the cobblestone path until I was out of the Everfree forest and in what seemed to be a park. I recognized the park from one of the episodes, but I still did not know the area. After walking (more like limping and wincing) for around fifteen minutes, I reached a fountain.

_'Not exactly a mirror, but it'll do'_ I thought as I made my way to it. The rain had turned down to a drizzle once again, so the fountain should not distort the reflection much. When I looked down on the reflection, my mouth went agape.

I was indeed a pure-white Pegasus stallion, but my mane and tail were matte black with vibrantly bright red streaks. My normally multi-hued irises were gone; in their place were metallic silver ones behind a pair of eyeglasses. My whole body was white, but my muzzle seemed to darken at a certain point, where the end of it turned black also. While I was certain I was a stallion, I could not help but notice I had a few… feminine characteristics. The shape of my muzzle looked a bit like that of a mare's but I decided to blame it on the fact that I must be just young-looking. My mane was quite long, and stylized in a way that seemed familiar, but I couldn't place my finger-ERR, hoof on it.

The rain finally subsided, and I decided I needed to clean myself up so that I wouldn't freak out anypony that saw me. I set down my saddlebag a few feet from the fountain, came back, and stepped in. The water was cold, so I had to be quick about it. I scrubbed whatever was left of the dry blood off my coat, and gently rubbed the wounds to clean them up a bit. Even with hooves and being slow around the cuts and gashes, the process took only five minutes. After stepping out, I shook myself (ouch) to rid off the excess water. Looking myself over one more time, I acceptingly nodded to myself _'the wounds are still visible, but at least the blood is gone'_ I convinced myself. I limped back to the saddlebag, picked it up with my mouth, and walked on.

It was a quiet, peaceful walk. The ponies must have been inside, because the park was empty. Analyzing the current situation, I finally had time the time to think peacefully. I thought back to my friends, my family, and my home. I missed them so damn much already and I hadn't even spent a full day here. Nostalgia flooded through me, and I felt like I needed to cry. However… I also began to think of a song… one of my favorites to be precise…I began to hum the intro, when I felt a warm and tingly sensation on my throat. I automatically thought of the whole song, without the lyrics. Then suddenly, a distinct group of instruments rang out... I turned around, and shrieked in surprise.

"WHOA!" I shouted in surprise.

Behind me were… pony holograms of some kind. They shone a spectral blue, and indeed looked more like ghosts than any sort of hologram looked. Yet, they had a magnificent aura of calm and friendliness about them. They were each holding an instrument, and I recognized the instruments immediately. There was a pony with a pair of drums, big ones; there was also a guitarist, a violinist, a cellist, a pianist, and a pony with a bell.

They all looked at me expectantly, and made gestures with their instruments. One of them nodded at me, and I knew what he was trying to say.

"S-Sing? B-but I can't sing." I stuttered. Almost instantly, Celestia's voice echoed through my mind

_'Bottling up emotion is futile. Everypony will notice if there is something bothering or upsetting you. Be open-minded, don't fear self-expression'_ She had said, and to be completely honest, I could not think of any other way to clear my mind.

_'There's no one around… oh who am I kidding, I NEED to sing right now'_ I thought. "Alright, I'll do it"

The ghosts smiled.

* * *

_'That wasn't so bad.' _Thought Fluttershy.

Although she was not known for being the bravest pony in Ponyille, she sure wasn't afraid of strolling along in the rain. In fact, she truly enjoyed rainy days. The scent of the soaked dirt after a rain was so wonderful, she could not truly describe it. There was no thunder or lightning, so the stroll turned out quite relaxing. The fact that everypony had gone inside to avoid getting wet only made the stroll even better. Not because she didn't like other ponies, but because of the fact that she genuinely enjoyed the rain and lone walks.

The rain had stopped, and she was on her way back to the cottage. She took the scenic route through the park. Strolling along the trail, she suddenly spotted somepony near the fountain. Shy as she was, she instinctively (and quietly) jumped into the nearest bush there was. She hid for a few moments, but then she heard a scream.

"WHOOA!" she heard a stallion shout. She began to tremble, and wondered if he had seen her. Before she fully calmed down, she heard the stallion speak.

"S-Sing? B-but I can't sing." He stuttered

She was now confused, _'was there somepony else with him?'_ she thought. Against her better judgment, she peeked through the thick bush and almost fainted at what she saw. In front of the stallion were _five ghost ponies… 'why are they holding musical instruments?' _ she asked herself. Curiosity got the best of her, and she was now listening and watching on.

"Alright, I'll do it" she heard the unknown stallion say.

What happened next truly surprised her…

* * *

As the ghost band began the song, I immediately recognized the sound from one of my favorites. _'No way… this is awesome' _I thought. A moment later, I was singing. Not just singing 'for the lullz' as some might say… I was singing from the depths of my heart and soul, emotion and feelings clearly heard in the lyrics of the tune.

_"I used to ruuuule my world,  
Friends would laugh at my every joke_

_Now in the mornings I sleeeeep alone,  
Cry by myself when I'm missing home"_

The instruments went perfectly in tune with the original song. Had I not seen the ghosts, I would have sworn I was really singing with Coldplay. I resumed singing, surprised at my version of the song.

_"Look down deep iiiiin my eyes,  
Now you see my great demise  
Imagining my friends would cry,  
'Oh our good friend is gone, where has he gone?'_

_One minute I praaaised my fate, Next, my life began to fade  
And I discovered that my liiife stood,  
Upon pillars of salt, pillars of sand"_

_"I hear equestrian bells a-ringing,  
The royal guard cavalry choir a-singing  
Be my mirror, my sword, my shield  
My missionaries in this foreign field_

_For some reason I can't explain,  
Once you know there was never,  
Never a hooonest word,  
And that was when I ruled my world"_

Emotions were pouring out of me without deterrence; tears silently flowing own my muzzle. The song brought memories of earth, friends, and family... although, I no longer felt sad. I just missed them. A lot.

_"Ancient enemiiies awaiiit,  
For my head on a silver plate_

Just a pony on a looonely string,  
Oh who would ever want the same sufferiiing?"

_"I hear equestrian bells a-ringing,  
The royal guard cavalry choir a-singing  
Be my mirror, my sword my shield  
My missionaries in this foreign field_

_For some reason I can't explain,  
I know Celestia had called my name  
Never a hooonest word,  
And that was when I ruled my world" _

The 'ghost band' sang the choir, their "ooh's" beautiful and melodious. It was a breathtaking experience, to be able to sing out your frustrations and pains aloud. Before long, it was my turn to sing the last verse of this beautiful song, and I felt even more melancholic than ever.

_"I hear equestrian bells a-ringing,  
The royal guard cavalry choir a-singing  
Be my mirror, my sword my shield  
My missionaries in this foreign field _

_For some reason I can't explain,  
I know Celestia had called my name  
Never a hooonest word,  
But that was when I ruled my world"_

We all hummed the outro, my eyes closed from the tears that hadn't stopped flowing. I opened my eyes, and found I was alone. They had left me.

Exhaustion and emotion finally overcame me, as my front legs collapsed. I was now sobbing openly, unable to hold back at all. Seconds after breaking down, I fully collapsed on my haunches. I sobbed on the ground with my head buried in my hooves. I cried for a few minutes before calming down enough to where I was only sniffling. I quieted down after a few seconds, and just lay on the ground with my head resting on my 'arms'. However, I soon found out I was not alone.

I heard the distinct 'clop clop' of hoof steps and I whipped my head to the direction they came from. Nothing could have ever prepared me for what was standing in front of me.

Standing a mere few feet from where I lay, stood the fabled Fluttershy. She sported a butter-yellow coat, with a pastel-pink mane that encased her head in a heart-like outline. Her eyes were big (adorably so) and teal-blue, and had a sad, solemn look to them. There were…dried tear trails originating from eyes _'why is it that everypony I meet happens to be crying?!' _I mentally scolded myself.

I half expected her to squeak and turn away in timidity, but my own shyness gave way before hers.

"Eeep!" I squeaked as I buried my head back in my arms.

"H-Hello... I'm Fluttershy. What's your name?" She asked in her shy voice. My old shyness began to overpower me. Before I began to tremble, I felt a feathery wing blanket my torso.

_'Wait…why is she-' _I heard her give a small worried gasp.

"Oh my, are you alright? I-I should take you to the Ponyville hospital so can get your wounds taken care of… if-if you want" She said in a calm, steady yet timidly quiet tone. I slowly looked up from my arms toward where she was, and found she was laying left to me, covering me with her right wing as I originally guessed. I felt like in 7th grade again, too shy to speak to even the friendliest of people... Ponies. After a few moments of silence, she spoke.

"I-I hope you don't mind... but I heard you sing with those... Gh-ghosts. You sounded wonderful, but I-I couldn't help but notice… you seem… very sad." Was she worrying about me? She did not even know my name, yet here she was, far from her comfort zone trying to help me.

"i-i-i-…kay" I muttered so softly that even she had trouble. She leaned in a bit closer, her expression one of comfort and friendliness.

"I'm very sorry, but I didn't quite hear you. Could you please talk a teeny bit louder?" she asked sweetly.

"I-I'm okay… I'll just-" I began to stand up, but my legs failed and I fell back down. I winced and she gasped.

"Oh my goodness, the hospital is too far from here for you to walk in your condition." She said, clearly worried. "I'll be right back; I'll go get some help." She withdrew her wing from me, and stood up. "Don't worry; I'll be back very soon"

And with that, she took flight without hesitation; leaving me to my thoughts. _'I just met Fluttershy…and __**I **__was the one stuttering…how's that for shy and timid?'_

* * *

Fluttershy arrived to her friend's house not two minutes later, and stood outside the front door of the Ponyville library. She knocked on the door in a hurry, for she knew the stallion in the park needed immediate care. His wounds were MUCH worse than she made it seem. From the few minutes she had been with him, she could tell he had not only countless scrapes, cuts and lacerations; but BOTH his wings were dislocated and hurt as well. Throw in the possibility of internal injury, and it was more than enough to make Fluttershy panic.

_'Ohmygoodness, OhMyGoodness! Poor colt! What could've hurt him so horribly?' _she thought as she assaulted Twilight's door with even more panicked knocking.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she heard her friend call out from within the library. Then the door opened to show her purple unicorn friend.

"Oh, hello Fluttershy. Is everything all right? You seem-"

"INEEDYOURHELPTWILIGHT" She said hurriedly. Twilight could see the distress in her friend's eyes and immediately worried.

"What is it, Fluttershy? What's the matter?" Twilight asked now worrying as well.

"THERE'S A HURT STALLION IN THE PARK AND HE'S TOO WOUNDED TO WALK TO THE HOSPITAL," She said louder than she usually spoke. The terror was clear in her voice as she told her friend what had her so worried.

"Alright, that's all I need to hear. Let's go find this stallion!" But before she could dash to the park, Fluttershy got in front of her.

"Wait twilight, there's something you should know before we go…" she said much calmer and in a serious tone.

"What is it?"

"He's, umm… Very shy, so you should try to let me calm him down before anything happens." She said.

"Wait… How shy are we speaking of here?" Twilight asked. _'If Fluttershy, out of all ponies, thinks this stallion is shy, then she might have a point in calming him down before I do anything'_

"Well…umm… let's just say… I don't hold the 'Quietest Pony in Ponyville' award anymore." she said hesitantly.

"Wow… Well… Lets…umm… Let's worry about that when he gets bet- Really? He's that shy?" Twilight was now genuinely surprised. _'Shyer than Fluttershy?' _She thought _'That's something I need to see'_

"Okay, Fluttershy, there's no time to waste!" She said as she galloped to the park, guided by her Pegasus friend.

* * *

After only five minutes, I heard gallops and wing flutters near me. _'Damn;' I thought 'That was quick'_ I turned to see Fluttershy, along with Twilight Sparkle, arrive at the area. Although my inner brony screamed at me to run towards them and embrace them in a tight fan-boy hug, every fiber in my body disagreed.

"Sorry we took so long." Said Fluttershy, stepping up to where I lay. I saw the look of horror on Twilight's face, a sign that I must've been worse than I could see.

"H-Hello, m-my name is T-Twilight Sparkle. Are… are you O-ok? Your wounds look… horrifying to say the least…" She said.

_'It's official. I must be wrecked' _I thought.

"Twilight, can your healing spell do anything for him? We can't move him and take the risk of worsening his injuries," Fluttershy said. How could she be so worried about me? I had not even given her my name.

"I'm not sure, but I'll heal him as best I can. If he heals the way I _hope_ he will, I can teleport us to your cottage. You have First-aid kits at home, right Fluttershy? I'm afraid that the hospital might take too long to attend him, since Nurse Readheart is in Manehattan in the medical presentation for the rest of the week." Twilight replied.

"Yes, I do have medical supplies at home, just _pleeease_ do whatever it is that needs to be done, I can't stand the sight of somepony being so hurt" Fluttershy pleaded with tearful eyes.

"Okay, just stay still and relax. You'll feel a bit better in a little while." She said as her horn lit up. She trotted slowly to where I was, and when she stood mere inches away from me, she lowered her horn and made contact with my forehead.

Almost instantly, my body was covered in comfortable warmth. I tried to stay as still as I could, but then a blunt pain exploded from my back, where I guessed my wings must have been. I yelped loudly from the pain.

"Oh, ponyfeathers. Fluttershy, we need to… we need to relocate his wings before I proceed, or else the pain will just worsen." Twilight said in a worried tone.

_'So now, I have dislocated wings… Great. What's next, broken rib? Concussion? Mysterious arrow in the knee... Wait, what? Did I just… wooow.' _Even in extreme pain, I managed to think of the stupidest crap.

"B-but I-I don't know…" Said Fluttershy, almost crying.

"Ok… think Sparkle, think. Who might know enough to fix a dislocated wing?" She thought aloud. Then, a light bulb _actually POOFED _above her head, but it dissipated as she screamed into the skies:

"**RAAAINBOOW DAAAAASH!"** She shouted loud enough that the water from the fountain spilled a little.

Moments later, a gust of wind stopped next to Twilight. When the dust settled, a menacing-looking Rainbow Dash stood in a fighting stance on her hind legs, taking swings at the air.

"WHAT IS IT TWILIGHT?! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?! IS IT…SPIES?!"She asked loudly, still taking swings at nothing.

"Rainbow, thank Celestia you're here. Fluttershy found this stallion-" She pointed at me with a hoof "-really hurt. I was going to heal him with a spell, but I can't until his wings are fixed. Unfortunately, we don't know how to deal with them. Could you help us?" She begged Rainbow Dash, who wasted no time in formalities.

"Whoa there, those are some pretty tough wings. You're lucky, seeing how messed up these bad boys are. Were those my wings, well, let's just say I'd have to get used to being called 'The fastest _runner _in Equestria'" she said.

If THAT was supposed to lighten me up, then it had failed. I was HORRIFIED.

"Please Dash, just fix them so we can proceed" Pleaded an annoyed Twilight.

"Ok, Ok." She said as she left my peripheral view. I felt her hoof take a firm hold of the base of my wing. That was enough to make me grit my teeth in pain.

"Before I do anything, what's your name?" she asked in an ever-so-carefree voice.

"J-J-J-J_oy-_" I managed to gasp, but I never had the chance to finish saying my name; due to how she tightened her grip on my wing, twisted, and forced my wing back into its socket with a gut-wrenching POP.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAHHHHH!" I screamed in agony. Never in my life had a dislocated body part hurt so much going back in. I was sobbing loudly, my head tightly buried in my front hooves, while my hind legs bucked and twisted.

"Sorry? Didn't quite hear ya there. What did you say?" she asked with the same tone as before. I didn't give it much attention, but she was relentless.

"I Said, WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!" She shouted in a drill-instructor voice.

"…r-rainbow, what in equestria-" asked a frightened Twilight, clearly horrified at how cruelly Rainbow Dash was dealing with me

"j-j-j-joyce" I barely whispered. The pain was too much.

"Ugh do you always speak like that?! Louder." She commanded, annoyed.

"J-j-joyce" I said, a bit louder.

"Louder!" She said, raising her voice in exasperation.

"J-J-Joyce" I managed to say in a louder voice, but it was too low for her to hear apparently.

"LOOOOOOUUUDEEEER!" She shouted.

"J-JOYC-" Again, I was interrupted by the relocation process. There was a snap, a crackle, and then a pop. Then torture. I could not force a scream out, since my breath was caught in my throat. Then my breath was released in a… unexpected way…

**"FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUCK!"** I screamed as hard as I could before sobbing. Rainbow Dash dismounted from my back, trotted in front of me and laid down, her face only inches away from my own.

I sobbed for just a few minutes, when Rainbow Dash took my head in her hoof and raised it until I was looking straight at her with teary eyes.

"Hey…" she said in a much sweeter, much quieter voice "y-you did well, Joyce." She looked at me with now apologetic eyes "…I'm sorry for how I treated you, but I had to take your mind off the pain." She muzzled my face, which was completely unexpected coming from her. Somehow, that managed to calm me down to just a sniffle.

"To be honest, you handled this waaay better than my first wing dislocation. I fainted as soon as the nurse grabbed mine… I'm sorry, and even though I absolutely HAD to do it, I still feel horrible about it…"

_'Where have I heard THAT before?'_ I mentally asked myself in a sarcastic tone.

"I-Its o-ok" I said in between sobs.

"…alright… I guess I'll go ahead and proceed…" Said Twilight, apparently still shaken about what had just happened.

Again, her glowing horn made contact with my forehead and I was blanketed in the same cozy warmth from before. This time, however, only the warmth came. When Twilight withdrew her horn from my forehead, she looked at my body smiled.

"Well, now that you're better, we can teleport to Fluttershy's cottage so we can properly take care of those wounds." Twilight said as I began to stand.

"o-ok" I said meekly. Man, did my shyness come back with a vengeance or what?

"Now, hold still everypony; I'm starting the spell." Twilight announced. In a second, there was a blinding flash. I closed my eyes for a second, and when I opened them, we were standing in front of a cottage, no doubt Fluttershy's. I felt a bit of vertigo, but nothing too serious.

We stepped inside her cottage, Fluttershy leading us inside and me being the last to enter. As they went upstairs, I closed the door. I heard little scampering sounds, and turned around to see what adorable little creature was running along in Fluttershy's living room… and was tackled.

Next thing I knew; I was on the floor, being 'punched' by a cute, fuzzy, and CRAZY little white bunny. It seemed adorable to see an aggressive little bunny, enough so that I gushed a little.

"What the- Oh lookit that, it's a kewt wittle bunny!" I said in a baby voice.

"Bunny... ANGEL BUNNY DON-" I heard Fluttershy call aloud from

Too late, the bunny seemed to get angry at my 'taunt', and as a response decided to hit me in the head with a frying pan that literally appeared out of nowhere.

**BONK!**

"Oooooowwww!" I said as I held my head, now throbbing and dizzy. Fluttershy and Twilight came down the stairs in a hurry, leaving Rainbow Dash to carry a box with a red cross.

"Angel, you naughty bunny! That is not how we treat guests! Especially when they are hurt. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" Fluttershy scolded Angel the way a mother would. Angel looked at me with half closed eyes and pointed at them with his paw before pointing it at me in an 'I got my eye on you' fashion. He bounced off into the backyard through an open window on the opposite side of the living room.

"I'm awfully sorry about Angel, Joyce. I've never seen him be so… hostile towards anypony." Fluttershy apologized.

"It's okay; I had a puppy that would be defensive as well. I'm sure he just didn't know if I was some sort of threat or not, don't worry about it" I tried to give a friendly smile, but I only achieved a sheepish grin instead. _'Really? Am I really going to be THAT shy? Woow'_ Fluttershy saw my grin and flashed one of her trademark 'squee' smiles before hiding behind her mane. She and Twilight turned to Rainbow to help her with the necessary supplies that they were about to use.

Let me tell you; I don't always melt from adorableness, but it was things like these that turned me all giddy.

"d'aaaaaaaaaaaw" I whispered as quietly as I could.

"Alright Jay, we're ready." Said Rainbow Dash as she motioned me to walk to where they were. I complied, and when I got near; I was instructed to sit and be still whilst they worked on my wounds.

Over one painful hour of cleaning, disinfecting, stitching, and bandaging later, the girls took a step back and wiped some sweat of their brows.

"That should do it, girls. Huh, that wasn't as bad as I suspected. Good job everypony." Twilight complimented her assistants.

"Pheeew. All right Jay- I hope it's ok if I call you Jay, because Joyce… doesn't do you much justice, jay sounds much better." Rainbow commented.

"Oh yes… Jay sounds… nice" Fluttershy shyly commented, back to her timid self.

It wasn't such a bad idea actually, now that I thought of it. Joyce McCarran sure didn't sound at all equestrian, and since it was a brand new beginning, why not? A new name was tempting and, balancing the pros against the cons, it really couldn't be a bad change could it?

"Actually girls, I WAS going to change my name… So I guess Jay is a good starting point," I told them. They all had quizzical faces, and I couldn't blame them.

"Okaaay… What should we call you from now on then?" Twilight doubtfully asked.

"Hmmmm" I thought about it for a second… Nothing seemed to pop out of my mind now, and decided to leave it for some other time.

"Jay's good for now…" They all nodded acceptingly. "Girls, there's no way in Equestria I could ever thank you enough for saving me, a complete stranger…I owe you all my life." I was so deeply thankful about all they had done for me; I was at a loss for words.

So instead, (by demand of my inner fan-boy) I hugged each of them as tightly as I could; which was, of course, not very tight at all. I hugged Twilight and Rainbow Dash, who immediately returned the embrace. _'Thank Twilight for that numbing spell'_

As I let go, I looked at Fluttershy, who stood a few feet away, hiding behind her mane. I limped to where she was and pulled her in for a close embrace. She felt so… soft. Her coat felt like a warm blanket of the softest cotton ever, and her mane; oh my goodness, how could I describe it… It was like a cascade of millions of supper-soft, super-slim strands of silk. She smelled of flowers and after rain, an intoxicating wonderful fragrance that matched her perfectly. We hugged for what felt like hours in silence.

That is, until a certain cyan Pegasus spoke.

"Okay, I'd love to stay and hug and all that cool stuff, but it's getting late and I need to practice tomorrow. By the way, I'm guessing Jay's staying here with 'shy?" Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy and I let go, both our faces blaring deep red from our blushes.

"I think it'd be for the best, considering he needs to recuperate. Would that be okay with you Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as she and Rainbow trotted to the front door.

"Oh, yes… That'd be all right girls, thank you for helping," Said Fluttershy as she walked her friends out.

"No problem Fluttershy. See you two tomorrow!" Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash called out.

"Okay, well… it is pretty late. I'll show you to your room…i-if you want" Fluttershy asked sheepishly. I gave a short, soft chuckle.

"Thank you Fluttershy" I said and smiled, making her blush.

"O-okay, follow me" We walked upstairs and down a hallway, where there were two doors on one side of the hallway, one in the other.

"Here's your room," she said, opening the door nearest t the staircase "mine is the one next to it, so if you need anything just let me know…" she said timidly.

"Really Fluttershy, thank you for everything… You're the sweetest, kindest pony I've ever had the pleasure to meet" I said with calm and honesty. I saw her blush yet again, look to the ground, and hide behind her mane. She walked toward her own room, and I followed her to her door.

"Well…Umm…Good night Jay…" She said.

I muzzled her softly and said "G'night Fluttershy, sweet dreams" I smiled as she walked into her room and quietly closed the door behind her. I went back into my room and lay in the bed, surprised at how soft it was.

"Overall," I quietly whispered to myself "today wasn't so bad"

I yawned once, and seconds later I drifted asleep, exhausted from today's events.

* * *

_**A/N: PHEEEW, THAT WAS A DOOZIE. ANYWAY, SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE EVERYPONY, I HAVE JUNIOR YEAR TO DEAL WITH; AND MY EDITOR N CHIEF GOT KINDA HURT TODAY. FUNNY STORY, Mr. IS A LONG TIME FRIEND OF MINE, AND WE ATTEND THE SAME SCHOOL. WHEN HE HERD**(unfunny pun. sorry) **THAT THIS STORY WAS BEING WRITTEN BY YOURS TRULLY, HE ASKED TO EDIT IT, DUE TO THE FAIL THAT IS MY GRAMMAR :D**_

_**ANYHOW, HERE'S A SHOUT OUT TO YOU DAVE! YOU ROCK!**~woohoo~ **...OMFG ITS FLUTTERSHY!  
ALSO SHOUT OUT TO**_** _APPLEBRAP_**_** FOR CORRECTLY TRANSLATING LAST CHAPTER'S LATIN PHRASE! ISNT LATIN A WONDERFUL LANGUAGE?**_

_**ALSO: THE SONG JAY SANG WAS "VIVA LA VIDA" BY COLDPLAY, THOUGH IT WAS HEAVILY TWEAKED TO FIT THE SCENARIO/SITUATION IN THE STORY. SORRY IF I MURDERLIZED IT,BUT ITS MY FAVOURITE SONG AND JUST HAD TO BE INCLUDED. ON THAT NOTE, SONG REQUESTS ARE STILL BEING ACCEPTED THROUGH REVIEWS AND PM'S. I CHECK DAILY, SO GO AHEAD! **_

_**THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN, EVERYPONY! AS ALWAYS; READ,REVIEW, FAVOURITE FOLLOW AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. IT MAKES ME SMILE,SMILE,SMILE ;D**_

**_NOW IF YOU EXCUSE ME, I HAVE A DAISY&DAFFODIL SAMMICH TO CREATE FOR A VERY SPECIAL PONY_**

~w-who? m-me?~


	4. Chapter 3: Heartaches by the Number

**_DISCLAIMER: AS ALWAYS, I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING PORTRAYED IN THIS FANFICTION OTHER THAN MY OCs._**

_Chapter 3: Heartaches by the number._

_A flash of white. A resounding explosion coming from the left part of my head. Flight, Crash, Agony._

_I opened my eyes, oblivious to the situation at hoof. It all seemed like a haze, a mere display of non-existent events. I found I had no sort of control over what happened, almost as if I was quite literally 'just along for the ride'. I was strewn on the ground; where a tree had blown to splinters on impact with my back. I was bleeding; I could tell by the warm, oozing sensation on my back._

"Is-is that all you got?" _I heard 'myself' pant. What was going on? Was I fighting someone? Automatically, my eyes averted from the ground to my bloodied wing (certainly looked useless and limp), then to a creature standing a couple dozen feet from where I stood. A dragon. Deep-sea blue body, with icy looking scales and light blue underbelly. It seemed furious; savage rage poured from his nostrils in the form of icy gusts. He was standing on his hind legs, posed with his back slightly hunched. It occurred to me that we were in combat. He would have been at least a full head taller than I was, where he on all fours. There was a feeling of… evil about him. Remembering Princess Celestia's story about the Dragon Empire, I immediately thought of their leader._

_'Is that… Ventus? The dragon elder?' I asked. As if he had heard me, the dragon in question snarled; his voice dripping with hatred and anger_

"You destroyed my Empire! Slaughtered my army!" _He shouted at me._

"It won't be long before the Elements of Harmony and the royal princesses arrive as well; and once they do, prepare to pay for all that you've done!"_ I retorted in a challenging snarl of my own. After spitting some blood, I was taken off-guard as a powerful, clawed hand grabbed me by the throat and raised me to the air. Wheezing and gasping for oxygen, I kicked and bucked as hard as I could; but to no avail. He held me high up in the air; I was helplessly at his mercy now._

"Oh, how I await their appearance." _He cooed._

_Suddenly, there was an electric explosion a few meters behind him, followed by a blinding flash. Where the explosion occurred, eight figures stood. Two of them were considerably taller and were Alicorns; no doubt the royal sisters Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The other six ponies were standing defiantly ready to attack. The Elements of Harmony were here. All six of the ponies were wearing their distinct golden necklace, twilight wearing her magical tiara. All of them had a hard, determined look on their face the moment they arrived. This was short-lived, however, as they saw me being held several feet in the air by my throat._

"Winter Wind! As High Rulers of Equestria, we command thee to cease hostilities at once and submit to the consequences of thy own actions!" _Princess Luna commanded in her Royal Canterlot Voice. 'Winter Wind', as she had called him, only snickered in response. He turned to me, his anger-crazed expression turned into one of bliss._

"As my ancestors before me have said; Tu morieris ad Mei manu!" _He smiled as he drew his free arm back, his claws looking razor-sharp and deadly._

"Winter Wind, stop at ONCE!" _Warned Princess Celestia._

_Time slowed down to a crawl, as I found myself looking at the equines that were trying to defend me. They all had a look of horror and distress plastered on their faces, but there was one face who called my attention the most…Fluttershy's._

_She was in tears, her mouth hung open in an inaudible scream. Her mane floated behind her head as well as tear trails stretched back along with her mane. She had her front legs outstretched, as she was running towards us... Time had slowed down enough to allow me to get a long look at her terrorized expression in mid-gallop. Seeing her like this was just heartbreaking… I'd never seen anyone or anypony so terrified and panicked before._

_As her scream slowly crawled into existence, her legs began to touch the ground. I averted my now tearful eyes from her to the dragon that was holding me. His free claw HAD been stretched back, at his facial level._

_Now, however, it was quickly sailing toward my torso. Time was slowly returning to normal, bit by bit._

"-OOOOOOOOOO!"_ Fluttershy bellowed as she galloped toward us. Futilely._

_There was the distinct sound of flesh ripping, as well as a sudden sharp pain originating from a few points in my frontal torso. I looked down and stared, horrified at the sight._

_Winter Wind's claws had pierced my thorax. Blood was flowing freely from the four punctures. His claws had penetrated at full length through my upper abdomen, slightly curving inside. He wore a manic grin as he stood. He savagely yanked his arm back, retracting his bloody claws from my dying body. Blood dripped into a tiny puddle below me. Feeling something bubbling up my throat, I coughed out a large amount of blood. A cold sensation began to form within me, and my eyelids felt heavier. He drew me closer until his freezing cold snout was a mere inches from my left ear._

"Here dies your creed… Crystal Jay. The guardians are no more." _He whispered._

_With a swift motion, he flung me to his left. My body crashed down in a heap. A limp, lifeless heap. Once I stopped skidding on the ground, I had landed facing where the equines and dragon were._

_The dragon let out a loud, menacing roar, which was instantly silenced as incandescent bolts of electricity flew out of the princesses' horns. His body seized and shook as millions of volts of current charred his body. The Elements of Harmony had been charging and channeling magic as well, it seemed, as a rainbow-colored beam shot out of Twilight's tiara and through Winter Wind. He did not even have a chance to scream._

_His body disintegrated into ashes, and it all piled in a small mound._

_As the equines ended their onslaught, their magical jewelry disappeared in a flash. After regaining their bearings, the ponies galloped to where I lay dying. Tears were flowing like cascades from all of them, but they weren't sobbing._

_Fluttershy was crying quietly as she made her way up to me. When she reached me, she collapsed on her haunches. With two gentle hooves, she cradled my head and cried._

_"_We-We're too late… I-I'm so sorry… Crystal Jay, I'm so sorry…_"_ _She said in between sniffles and sobs. Was I already dead?_

_"_I-i-…I wish I had t-told you b-before all this" She whispered between sobs. _Tell me what?_

_"_i-if only I hadn't been so afraid… to tell you…" _Her voice was fading, and everything was brightening up drastically. 'Damn it all, tell me what?!"_

"Jay… i… I" _Her voice faded away, as well as her face. Slowly, I felt myself weightless, as the bright white began to brighten even more. Then, there was darkness._

* * *

I awoke with a start, gasping and sweating. I was in full-on panic mode; eyes wide open, gasping for breath, sitting upright in bed. I looked at my surroundings and let out a relieved sigh. I was still in Fluttershy's guest room; it appeared.

Mental images of my surreal nightmare flashed by as I began to calm down. Images of the furious 'Winter Wind', being held off the ground by my throat, the fatal blow… yet there was a sequence that left me speechless and confused. The looks on the faces of the Elements of Harmony, more specifically Fluttershy's, was haunting. The pain she showed was just…maddening. The unfinished confession didn't help at all, either. Why was this bothering me so much? I adored her back on earth, and I certainly still did, but… could it be something more? I mean, all day yesterday was pain and tears; until she rescued me and offered unmatched generosity; she had worried about me.

Did that somehow make my feelings toward her change so drastically? I knew not, but I shouldn't over-think it. I needed something else other than my feelings toward Fluttershy to think about. That wasn't hard to do at all, though.

_' Holy crap, holy crap, holy CRAP! I met three of the mane six! Aaaaaah!' _My face wore a huge grin as I lay back down on the bed, looking straight at the ceiling. Internally, I was gushing like a MAJOR fan-boy at the events of yesterday. The day before, I was too hurt and exhausted to process things. Now however, I completely let myself go for just a few moments. I knew, however, that they mustn't figure out that I somehow knew them already.

_'OK… I have to act as if I hadn't known them before… Sure as hell don't want them to find out I'm from another dimension. That could be bad.'_ True. The only thing they knew about me was my name and the fact that I had been in critical condition when they saw me. Letting my mind drift a little, I began to scan the cozy quarters that had been lent to me. I saw a small wardrobe, a small desk, and the bed I was now on. Beside it was a nightstand.

I looked at the black and silver saddlebag that sat near the bed. Reaching out for it, I realized that there was something missing about me. Extending my arm again, I felt… unharmed. Hesitantly, I stepped of the bed. Nothing. _'Did I already heal?' _I thought incredulously. I couldn't have; it was too fast, even for magical treatment.

I slowly and carefully began to remove my bandages to check my scars, and found there was none. Removing the bandages from my wings, they uncomfortably stretched upwards with a POOF. My wings had re-grown their missing feathers, which had been much more than I thought. I also felt a bit…brawnier. Not exactly bulky, but I felt fit. I needed to see myself. As quiet as I could, I tip-hoofed my way out of the room, out in the small corridor. Across from my door was a slightly wider door. _'Must be the bathroom…I hope'_

Treading lightly, I slowly turned the knob. Yep, it was the bathroom. It seemed like a regular one at that, except for the fact that everything was more adjusted to a pony's body. The bathtub was a bit longer and wider than any I'd ever seen. However, for now at least, that seemed irrelevant. I looked at my reflection through the mirror._ 'Whoa…'_

Staring back at me was the same white Pegasus I'd been; but this time, I seemed healthy. My coat was considerably shiny; my wings looked strong, muscular and toned. In addition, there were no cuts or scars anywhere, and instead I actually appeared more athletic. It reminded me of my human self. _'Toned; lean and mean, but not slow. Not bad'_ I was quite surprised at the drastic difference from the puny looking, broken Pegasus to my current self. Yet, just like yesterday, I felt strange about my muzzle. I was completely sure I was a Pegasus stallion; but to be honest, my mare-ish face bothered me a little. Averting my focus from my muzzle to my back, I regarded my wings astonished. Then, something jumped into my mind.

_'How the BUCK do I fly?'_ I deadpanned mentally. It's true, I didn't even know how to fold back my wings. Since removing the bandages, they had stretched skywards. Somehow, it subconsciously felt… uncomfortable and embarrassing as well. _'Well…maybe they're tense is all'_

Standing on my hind legs, I supported myself on the wall using my left hoof. I managed to touch my left-wing with my right hoof, showing I could try to massage the area at the base of my wings and maybe relax them. Big mistake.

As my hoof made contact with my left wing's base, chills ran down my spine. A sudden wave of… sensation made my knees tremble. _'WHOA. WHOA THERE, THAT IS __NOT__ SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!'_ I sighed and calmed down _'Okay, so my wings were…sensitive, to say the least. Why is it that they're...'_ My eyes widened like platters, my mouth went agape, and my cheeks burned furiously. This was, by far, the weirdest thing I had learned. I tried to erase the blush by thinking this in a medical way, of course. Care to say futile?

_'So, my wings are indeed extremely sensitive to contact. It makes sense, seeing as how many nerves must be connected to the wing; otherwise, they would not function properly. Simple. Of course, certain… precautions should be taken as to avoid these… well… events.' _ I kept trying to think professionally, but I gave up. _'Damn it, who am I kidding? I need to keep that area clear' _After a few minutes of deep concentration, my wings folded upon themselves.

Trying to distract myself, I stealthily made my way back in the guest room and opened one of the saddlebag's pouches. I extracted my iPod and eyed it suspiciously. When I turned the screen on, I noticed that the battery display was adorned with a small silver lighting symbol, meaning it was being charged.

_'How…How is this thing charging? I don't even have the chord…' _I thought. I checked my laptop, except it didn't even turn on. I fumbled with it, but it was no use. I replaced it in the saddlebag's pouch. I took out the small violet sack with princess' cutie mark stitched on it. It made a slight jingling noise as I picked it up from a string. I set it upon the bed and opened it out of curiosity; then gawked at its contents.

Inside were _dozens_ of golden coins, enough to make a certain Italian plumber jealous. They were shiny, extremely so. Sticking out of the pile of coins was a small scroll. I took it out and read it quietly, as to not wake up the sweet little mare that had given me a place to sleep.

**_'Dearest Joyce_**

**_Let this be a minuscule token of appreciation from Princess Luna, Equestria, and myself. We know not what you must be experiencing as of this moment, but let it be clear that we are eternally grateful of your colossal sacrifice. Thank you once again, and we welcome you home. _**

**_Princess Celestia & Princess Luna."_**

Looking at the letter, I grew anxious about the future. Sure, I might be a descendant of powerful pony elders; but the odds were just brutal. As I placed the scroll back into the pouch, I began to mull over my situation; something I hadn't the time until now.

_'Okay… I'm part of a lost creed of warriors from ancient times and whatnot. That, I know. An entire Empire of dragons took on the Creed for a battle over Equestria. The "Elder" of the dragons was powerful enough to turn the tide on their favor once everything pointed at the creed winning.'_ I remembered the events as Celestia had explained to me. _'On the last battle for Equestria, the three Elder Guardians appeared to battle along the last remaining members of the creed. Soon it came to a final stand of the three Elder Guardians against the Elder Dragon; which ended in the Elders Sacrificing themselves by enclosing Ventus in a magic prison in the center of the planet for all eternity. Or so it seems, according to Princess Celestia.'_

Worry began to arise as I contemplated the days to come. It had taken the complete annihilation of the creed to defeat the army of dragons and merely _imprison_ the dragon by himself. This time around, it was just me and MAYBE the royal guard; which didn't make me feel better. The creed was (as told by Celestia) the premium élite of equestria's defense, and still, they did not fare well at all.

Essentially, I was scared shitless. I was alone, recruited to save a world that I believed fictional. My life on earth was constantly clouding my mind; and more than once, my friends were the focal point of my sorrow. Oh, how I wished to be by their side once more, to see them again, and tell them that I was ok for now… Nevertheless, I knew that was impossible, and I knew I had to move on eventually.

Though I knew that it would not be easy, I couldn't help but feel reassurance and confidence as well. Something made me feel that in the end… Everything would be all right.

* * *

Both Princesses were aware of the Human-gone-Pony and his inner conflicts, but neither had the slightest idea of how far they underestimated his distress. That is, until they decided to observe him.

_'Tia, are you certain that this is a good idea? It's one thing to be worried, but THIS? This seems… extreme, don't you think?'_ asked the princess of the night telepathically to her sister.

They both stood no more than ten feet from the stressed Pegasus stallion, who (thanks to Princess Celestia's invisibility spell) was entirely unaware that not only had they been there from the moment he awoke; but also seemed unaware that the sun goddess was also reading and rummaging through his thoughts and feelings.

_'It is a bit… unorthodox, but it is necessary nonetheless' _answered Celestia, who was still focused on the stallion.

_'Is it as necessary as tearing him from the only life he knew and loved?' _ Retorted Luna with a scowl. She didn't approve of her older sister's actions, having experienced being taken away from her life as well. The comment deeply hurt Celestia, who in turn faced her little sister with pained eyes.

_'Luna, you know as well as I do that without his help there is now way Equestria can be saved. I thought we had gone over this before.' _Answered Celestia, her voice full of emotion.

_'Humph… it still does not change the fact that he is mourning too much for him to aid us sister.' _Said Luna.

Celestia could only sigh. She turned back to the young stallion who was now staring through a window into the distance.

Maybe the transition had been too much for the young human to handle after all. Signs of depression were already showing on the colt. Normally, this wouldn't worry her as much as it did now; but he was Equestria's only hope. If stress and depression submitted him, then it would all be lost. To make matters worse, furthermore, was that his agony wouldn't die down by conventional means. She knew of what COULD bring him back to normality, but it was far out of her reach.

After deciding to leave the stallion to himself (though he was oblivious to their presence) they teleported back to the royal throne room. Back to their royal duties, Celestia and Luna were able to rest their minds about their current inconvenience regarding the Guardian. This peace of mind however, was shortly lived.

Celestia and Luna were walking in the royal courtyards, chatting away time; until they both felt a sudden disturbance around them. Worriedly, both princesses ceased their discussion. It was only then that they noticed the change in their surroundings.

_Everything was motionless and quiet._

The silence was brief, for an echoing voice resounded through the princesses' minds.

"**Ah, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna! I see that you were able to bring back our son. How splendid!" **said the voice inside their heads. It was a voice that Celestia had grown to admire and respect over the millennia of its absence. It was young, free, vivid, yet all along reliable as well. The voice of a true leader and friend; it was none other than…

_'Night Comet! How is it that you-? But I thought you and the other elders-' _stammered Luna in surprise. She heard an echoing chuckle.

**"Nice to see- rather- hear you once again Luna. It's been a while. As for how, let's just leave it at 'spiritual guidance' okay?"** Replied Night Comet's voice.

_'It's been indeed quite some time, Comet. It's a pleasure hearing from you after all these years. What do we owe the pleasure of your…sudden "visit"?' _asked Celestia.

**"Well, I see that my son is bluer than Luna's night skies, so I had to come… Listen, while I do indeed believe that it was justified and necessary to bring him back, me and the other Elders can't help but agree that his pain is also justified. You were right, Luna, when you said he is too distressed to help." **Said Night Comet.

_'Yes, we were afraid that might've happened. He misses his friends too much. But it isn't possible to do anything about it; the only reason he could enter equestria was because Diamond Mist's magic courses through him. Everypony knows that even the slightest trace of magic allows any creature to live in Terra; but he is the only magical human in their planet. Hence his eyes'_ Said Celestia, with a hint of regret in her voice.

**"Princesses, let me ask you something… Are you aware of my son's life-long human friends? How their relationship was one of the strongest in that planet?" **inquired the spirit of the elder.

_'Yes, of course. Their bond was close enough to put most of ours to shame. What of it?'_

**"There is a reason why their relationship was, is, and always will be so close Celestia. You see, we foresaw that our foal would embrace the happiest of futures available in Earth. We granted him looks, smarts, and attitude. That, however, was one of the minor factors that we handled beforehand. We… 'Set him up' to have such friends as he has now. We all knew that the day of return would be devastating for him, so as prevention… we've taken some terminal precautions…"** Comet said with a distant tone.

_'Excuse me if I'm supposed to understand what that meant, But I didn't' _said Celestia doubtfully.

Night Comet sighed and spoke **"Basically speaking; Diamond Mist and Bladeknight will sacrifice our stance in the afterlife for his friends to be in equestria. I already came to agreement with the Big Colt himself, and agreed that after so many sacrifices we made toward the salvation of Equestria he will allow us to exit and re-enter the afterlife realm… Once their lives come to a close, of course." **He said plainly.

_'W-what you are telling us… is that Bladeknight and Diamond Mist will return?' _Luna asked, shocked at what she had just heard.

**"Unfortunately…No. They will just make it possible for the humans to enter equestria and re-join my son." **Replied Night Comet with a hint of disappointment.

_'Then how do they plan on bringing the humans here?' _asked Celestia, curious about what Night Comet had said.

**"It's… complicated".**

* * *

**_Silver City, New Mexico._**

**_May 25_****_th_****_, 2012 (48 hours after Joyce's "trip")_**

Exhaustion was the only thing that the young couple felt at the moment. After their best friend had disappeared without leaving a trace, Theo Davis and Scarlette Truman had spent every waking hour assisting the Silver City Police Department in their search. So far, nothing was found. Despair and sorrow were seeping into the weary young adults, and soon enough they were left hopeless and tearful. Night found them in the living room of their apartment they used to share with Joyce. Scarlette was sobbing relentlessly in her lover's shoulder, while the latter only looked with pain and hurt in his eyes.

"W-where could he be? W-why w-would he just l-leave us like Th-that?" Scarlette managed to say between sobs.

She was the most hurt from the two, and that was just slightly so. It was all due to the fact that even though she was just a few months younger than Joyce was, she still looked up to him like an older brother. She admired his sense of responsibility and his always-positive resolve. He had changed so much since they first met in junior high school. Overall, he had become optimistic and happy; and now, during what was supposed to be one of the happiest moments for the group… He vanishes without leaving a clue.

"I-I dunno baby… But we'll find him. I promise" Was all Theo could say. He was holding back tears, for he knew that he had to look strong for his girlfriend. He had to put on a strong face and keep on, for the both of them.

As minutes turned to hours, the young couple walked to their bedroom in a comforting embrace. As they lay in bed, they failed to notice the two semi-transparent figures that were observing them through their bedroom window.

**"Their pain and sorrow is quite formidable, seeing as how they are just friends. Had I not known better, I would've misjudged them as siblings." **whispered a deep and gruff voice.

**"I feel truly sorry for my little foal… to be separated from friends like these… even by Equestria's standards; their closeness is a thing of admiration." **Replied a sweet, feminine voice.

**"Well, Mist, in case you don't remember… We're here to fix that. Are you set? They seem to be falling asleep already."**

**"Of course, let's do this."**

As the two 'spirits' made their way into the room through the slightly open bathroom window, the young lovers were snoring lightly. The spirits hesitated for a second, before finally making their moves. Diamond Mist flew straight _into_ Scarlette, whilst Bladeknight mirrored her and flew into Theo.

* * *

_(In the void)_

_'We know where your friend has gone…' whispered an echoing voice... 'We can take you to where he is… but you must listen closely'_

**_"Wh-What is this? Is this a dream?" _**_Asked Theo loudly, referring to the echo amid the void of white._

_'It can be… or it can be the last thing you see before being reunited with your lost friend' Responded a more feminine whisper._

**_"Joyce? You know where he is?!" _**_Asked a bewildered Scarlette. She felt it might have been just a dream, but taking into account that Theo was there and seemed as confused as she was about why they could see each other in their dreams; they both knew that it must be more than that._

_'We can deliver you to him, but upon accepting this offer, you also accept into starting a new life. The life that you knew before will be gone, at the cost of being re-united with him once more.' replied the first voice._

_Scarlette wasn't one to jump to decisions without proper thought, but she felt deep within her what the right choice was._

**_"Look... I don't know if this is my mind playing cruel tricks on me… but to see Joyce, my big brother, once more... I'll accept anything." _**_Scarlette said sternly and with an expression of determination in her face._

**_"I…I accept as well. Joyce and Scarlette are much too important for me to just turn my back on them, even if this is just a dream." _**_Theo agreed, with an equal determination._

_'Before you accept anything, you must first hear what we have to say' said the second voice._

**_"…Fine, We'll listen" _**_Said Theo. After a brief pause, the female spirit began._

_'It all started close to one thousand years ago… with the rise of the Creed of Guardians…'_

_Theo and Scarlette listened attentively._

* * *

Fluttershy woke up around 8:00 am, about fifteen minutes after I did. Since the wooden walls were quite thin, I heard her give out what could be the most adorable little yawn ever. I could almost picture her, yawning while stretching herself out of her slumber. The mere thought of it made me want to giggle, but I suppressed it.

Shortly after her yawn, I heard hoof steps coming from her room. I didn't want her to take me for messy, since my first impression was… not so good. I fixed the bed I had slept on as neatly as I could without making noise. As the hoof steps came closer, I organized everything back into my saddle bag. As I inserted my iPod back into a pouch, there was a quiet knock at the door.

"H-hello? Um… I don't know if you're awake, but if you are, May I come in?" she asked from behind the door.

"O-of course, come in…" I replied in a quiet voice myself, as to not startle her. She came in quietly and kept her vision glued to the ground. I noticed my shyness returning, but since it was Fluttershy, I guessed it might actually be a good thing.

"G-good morning, Fluttershy" I said meekly.

"Umm… good morning Jay…" She said as well. There was a short silence, but before I could speak she looked up at me and gasped.

"Oh my, your wounds are gone!" She had said in a happy tone. Swept up by the excitement, she swiftly dashed toward me and began to closely see where the wounds had been yesterday. She then began poking and feeling around where she remembered wounds. I know that she was just doing what any other being with medical ability would do, but just having her so close made me blush.

As she continued examining almost every square inch of my body; she slowly made her way to my back, near the 'Danger Zone'… almost immediately, I began to feel the same sensations as I had in the bathroom. I tensed up more and more, as I tried and failed to suppress the feel to collapse.

"Flu-uttershy… W-wait a m-m-m-" My plea was interrupted by a shudder, which was enough to make her realize what she was doing. After a gasp, she quickly retracted her hooves from my wings. Letting out a sharp exhale, I lost my balance and my front legs collapsed.

"OH MY GOODNESS! I'M SO SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO!" She immediately and pleadingly apologized. She helped me back up, and once I was back on all fours, she looked down in shame and regret. I wasn't upset or anything with her, so I tried to tell her it was alright.

"It's…it's ok…You didn't know it would happen. It…it was an accident, don't worry" She refused to look up at me._ 'Damn it, I must've scared her… I can't stand seeing Fluttershy like this; I have to get this off her mind…' _I began to think of ways to distract her, but I knew that I had to do more than just 'distract' her. I gave her a forgiving and friendly smile, which she didn't notice.

"*sigh* Fluttershy, I-" I slowly trotted toward her. As I neared her, I saw tears form at the edges of her eyes as she kept looking at the ground. "- Fluttershy, I'm not upset at all." Still nothing "Please… look at me?" No response. Out of sheer compassion and love, I smoothly stepped mere inches away from her, got on my hind legs in a bi-pedal manner… and embraced her in a tight, loving hug. I heard her 'eep' just as I did this, and I gave a small chuckle. She was doubtful at first, but she soon returned the hug entirely. Again, her intoxicating scent met my muzzle, and it relaxed me enough to speak up after a full minute.

"Fluttershy… Thank you. You and your friends not only saved my life, but you even went the extra mile and took me in when I didn't have where to stay. I don't know what I would've done without you…" I said quietly to the beautiful mare in my arms, who now pulled away just enough for our eyes to meet. What had at first been a friendly 'It's ok, I forgive you' kind of hug had now escalated into something I had never experienced before. Here I was, gazing deep into the most beautiful pair of eyes I had ever seen, only to have them mirror my actions. We were lost in each others' arms and eyes, unaware and lost to the world around us.

"… I have never met a more kind, generous, and beautiful mare… You're unique, 'Shy. One of a kind." The words came out automatically, betraying any sense of secrecy that I had held about my feelings toward her. _'SHIT! I'M SUCH AN IDIOT! WHY DID I JUST SAY THAT!'_

A small, pink blush emanating from her cheeks stopped me from berating myself further. Our gazes hadn't parted; and slowly, a discreet tinkle could be seen in her eyes. I wasn't certain of what would happen if somepony else found out about what just happened; but since the cat was out of the bag, I decided that I should just… come clean, before being shunned by the mare that had caused me so much internal conflict in a mere day.

"I-I…I barely know you…B-but I just can't help it…I've never felt so… close to anypony. You make me feel so… safe… I'm sorry for just… throwing it out there, and for making you feel uncomf…"

My apology went unfinished, because it was at that moment that she gently closed her eyes and leaned in. Before I could process what was happening… _our lips met._

We were kissing. Gently, softly, and oh-so-sweetly kissing. Her eyes had been closed from the split second that she began to lean forwards. Mine were wide open at first, but closed slowly. My head was swimming, and my mind was in blissful paradise. I was lost in her lips; lost in their minty fresh and silky feel against my own. After a few minutes, as our heads shifted and softly changed position; our faces parted a couple of inches and a shuddered, quiet breath escaped her. Our foreheads met, and we opened our eyes and gazed into each other's soul once more.

"I—I love you." I whispered to her. Her eyes were glistening against the morning sun shining through the window, making the scene that much more captivating. She just looked into me, with an expression I couldn't quite read. Silence followed for a few seconds before she sighed and spoke.

"…i-i… I don't know what to say…" she said quietly "I've never like felt this… I don't even know what 'this' might be…"

She was utterly confused, that much was obvious. As much as I hoped for her to feel the same way I did, I knew that wasn't the case. Even if it was her that took the first step, I felt pretty confident that she was having second thoughts about it. I didn't want to trouble her at all, so I reluctantly sighed and nuzzled her cheek before finally letting go of the embrace. Getting back on all fours, her warmth finally left me. I felt my ears drop, and I was lonely once more. It was probably for the better anyway; there was surely much better stallions than I for her.

"W-wait I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to-" she said. I was sad, of course; but I didn't want her to blame herself for it.

"N-no, i-it's… *sigh*… I'm ok Fluttershy, don-don't worry. Again, I'm… I'm sorry for all this.." I said. At the moment, I felt like just running away. The short little break from troubling thoughts was over, and now it came back in overdrive.

Not only had I somehow seen myself die; I also managed to upset the one mare I could ever be interested in. As if that wasn't enough; I began to think that there might actually be a chance for us in the future, only to have her turn me down. All this in, I checked my watch, TWO hours and fifteen minutes. _'Life suure has a few ways to fuck up your mornings huh?'_

"Umm… I-I think I'll—I think I'll go to…*sigh*… I'll go to the town I saw yesterday… Do you want anything?" I held back a tear. _'Once again about to cry… what the hell Jay? Get a hold of yourself man!'_

"Oh… n-no thank you… Don't you want something to eat before you go though?" She asked in her usual, quiet voice.

"No… I'm fine, thanks…" I said quietly.

She nodded once and turned to her bathroom. Seconds later, her shower came on. Sighing, I went to retrieve my coin purse. I decided to also take my iPod and headphones. I needed some distraction after all this.

I went downstairs and out into the open. It was warm and sunny outside, like it always seemed to be here in Equestria. I made my way towards the outskirts of Ponyville. Suddenly, my headphones came to life as a few guitar chords were heard. Using a hoof, I raised them until they covered my ears, effectively drowning away the sounds and noises from the outside. I grinned at the convenient song that was playing. I breathed in, and sang along.

_"Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner,  
Sometimes I feel like  
My only friend,  
Is the city I live in,  
The city of ponies  
Lonely as I am, together we cry..."_

* * *

As Fluttershy bathed, she couldn't help but think stupid for everything that had occurred in the past hour. To begin, she had forgotten about the sensibility of the wing area; so when she tried to check for any soreness in his back, the sensation overwhelmed him. Just as she saw this, she panicked.

Then to make matters worse, she went and cried in front of him; but then he did something she didn't expect… he _hugged _her; and she _loved_ it. She had never had any physical contact with any other stallion that wasn't family. The hugs she received from her family were nice and sweet, but this… she couldn't even explain it, even to herself. She didn't ever want him to let go.

Then; there was the kiss, something that Fluttershy never expected to experience, much less that _she _would be the one to give it. It all seemed so hazy at the moment though… One moment, she was lost in his beautiful, dark-silver eyes; the next she was _kissing him._ It was only when they pulled away that she realized what she'd done. Panic didn't settle in, however; she knew that her heart didn't lie. All what he had said about his feelings perfectly mirrored her own emotions. She barely knew him, and she was already falling for him… and then he said "I love you". It was a sincere and true "I love you", like the one she heard from Princess Cadence and Shining Armour at their wedding.

She was so confused at that point; she just basically turned him down, in her eyes. She could tell by the way his whole expression changed that she'd hurt him. Now he was away, probably saddened deeply by her words.

_'Oh Fluttershy! Look at what you've done… How hard was it to say you felt the same way? You probably just turned down the only nice stallion that will ever feel like that for you… I sure hope not…' _ She scolded herself _'Well… what if there's still a chance? Maybe I can tell him later today! Yes! I'll set up a nice little meal and be nice and pleasant. Then I'll come clean with it… I hope he understands…'_

With that final thought, she finished bathing, dried her coat and mane with a towel, brushed her silky pink mane, and stepped out of the bathroom. She went downstairs and made herself some breakfast; nothing big, of course. She ate a small bowl of oatmeal with various nuts and berries, a piece of toast, and a cup of orange juice. Just as she finished washing the dishes, she heard somepony knock at her front door. _'Hmm… I don't remember expecting company today' _she thought as she trotted to the door.

When she opened the door, a slim, white unicorn mare with a vibrant maroon mane was standing at her doorstep. She had a nice, sweet smile on her face, and her eyes were a few shades darker than… Jay's. She actually reminded Fluttershy of him, oddly enough. Behind her, an emerald-green, Big Macintosh sized Pegasus stallion with bright yellow and green mane stood gazing at Fluttershy in shock.

"Ahem…Excuse me?" The unicorn mare asked sweetly and quietly.

"Umm… m-may I help you?" asked Fluttershy.

"Ah, yes… were looking for someon-somepony, and we were wondering if you had seen him" the mysterious mare inquired.

"Umm… I-I'm not sure how I could help, but o-ok." Fluttershy replied.

"Well… We're looking for a white Pegasus stallion…He's a little taller than me… His name's Jay. Have you seen him?"

_'They know Jay? I wonder…' _she thought.

"A-Actually, I- I have seen a colt like that. I believe he might be in Ponyville; but may I ask why you're looking for him? I-if you don't mind… that is…" Fluttershy asked innocently.

The unicorn mare exhaled out of relief, almost as if a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Oh thank goodness… We've been searching for quite some time now; I'm just glad that we finally found him" she said.

"W-why? Is he in trouble?" Fluttershy asked. Before the unicorn mare turned toward Ponyville, she looked back at Fluttershy and smiled.

"Oh goodness no, he's not in trouble. We're just a couple of his friends looking for him"

With that, the two mysterious ponies galloped toward Ponyville.

* * *

**_A/N: Awwwww yieeaah! i'm back everypony! Sorry for taking so long with these updates, but damn Junior year is getting kinda tough. Anyway, i worked on this chapter for quite a while. Things don't usually end well when you hit the dreaded "Writers Block", specially in mid-chapter. Either way, I got over it (thank you Lauren Faust) and not only that, i'm working on chapter 4 as we... um... YOU read. Expect pinkie antics and such._**

**_Also, i'm not very good at romantic scenes so now more than ever i BEG you (gets on knees and pouts like pinkie) Pweese! Leave sum weviews! (gets back on armchair) AHEM.. as always, all critisizm is greatly appreciated._**

**_ Also, A very loud shout out to My Little Editor: Mr D. Hinckley, And to my friend Bob Barkin (Made me an 8-bit Fluttershy head key chain,looked totally awesome btw) Check out his Facebook "Bob Barkin".  
_**

**_So to conclude my rant- OHMIGOSH ITS PINKIE  
_**

_"hey! You talk a lot! Lets be Best Friends! Wanna make cupcakes?"_

_**OKAY! **(leaves with pinkie)_**_  
_**

**_Editors Note: Hi guys Mr. D Hinckley here! editor and chief (and fan) of Mr. McCarran! sadly im not here on a good note. My good friend Joyce wanted me to inform you all that unfortunately he wont be able to work on the story for an undetermined amount of time due to school issues. He hasn't forgoten about everypony so dont worry! he's trying his hardest to get every thing fixed and once he does he'll be back to work on his true passion! no not fluttershy this fanfic. so dont worry everypony!_**

**_September Update! Im back and this time i have a bronynet account! Aww yeah that website is soo cool! if you want (please do) Add me! I go by my real name... Edgar Ureno *background gasp* Yes, that does mean Joyce McCarran is indeed an alias. But thats off topic! Add me on and if you found out through this update, Let me know, and i'll do shout outs and reference any story you want! All you need to do is ask. Why? Cuz YO-*slapped by luna* ok fine i like helping new authors rise. So yeah! Add me, if you need 'advertising' then ask me to give a shout out to you and your fanfic, and it shall be done! Regarding Remnant of the Creed? Im working on it, i just need time to catch up with school and such. This concludes my rant! Bye everypony! /) [this will be re-posted on the latest chapter of RotC]_**


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